Air-ship.



J. MUGKLE.

AIR SHIP.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 3 Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

sums-salami.

INVENTOR PV/TNESSES:

J. MUGKLE Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

" [N VE N T 01?.

J. MUGKLE.

AIR SE11.

APPLICATION FILED JULY s, 1908 INVENTOR.

J. EUCKLE.

AIR SHIP.

llllblll'rll I LII! Lvl.

INVENTOR.

w m f w w 1 adapted to the unrrnn AIR-QHIP.

season.

Specification of Letters Psteni Fri/tented Aug. 81, race.

iggnliceionfiled Emily 3, mos. serial 1%. la-L761.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatl, JOHN Muosnn, a citizen of the United States, residing atKansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful of which the following is a. speci- 081,101}.

."My invention relates to and constitutes improvements in air-shipe in which the form and construction of the air-ship are means for lifting and propelling air-ships, herein specified, in which propelling lifting fails mounted on shafts and made to rotate by means or geariz'ig and a 1110iOX,.lI6 placed fore and aft on both sides of'the body of the airship, in such manner that the rear fans do not track the frontfans, and the paddles or blades of the fans dip below the floor plane of the airship, and in which devices are provided in the nature of compartments, in which the ropellenlifting fans are located, closed bel'iind and above the fans and open in front and below to the freeopenair or in the form of a half cylindei' or half barrel shaped device, secured to the air-ship, and in the hollow of which the upward and forward parts of the revolutions of the blades or paddles of the fans are made, and in which there are deflectors to deflect the air from the under side of the acre-plane to the exposed "fronts of the fans, and in which there are also twin rudders, secured to'the rear corners of the air-ship, for steering and stopping the air-ship, and in which vertical rcvolvin paddle fans, which 1 term pro- )eller-lirting fans, having their paddles or lades parallel to the shafts upon which the fans are mounted, mounted on shafts, turning in bearings, secured to the frame of tire airship, are by means or" gearing and n10- tor made to revolve clockwise, the point or" view being toward the right side of the airship. The objects of my invention are to pro-- vide amore substantial form of air-ship than such as have been in use, and a form adapted to the means herein specified for lifting and propelling air-ships, to provide an air-ship with the means or more etl'ectually lifting and forcing it into the air nd of keeping it up and propelling it ill the air, and a betternieans for steering and stopping it'than such as have been in use,

f i 1 I device, a

I attain these objects by the mechanism lllustrated in the accompanying drawing,

in which- Figure 1 is a vertical elevation of the rightside of an air-ship mounted on wheels, the stay ropes between the aeroplane and the bottom and top of the air-ship being omitted, and sections of the fore and aft ends of the aeroplane, or of the fore and aft Wings of the aeroplane being omitted and showing, among other things, how the body or" the air ship s divided, from front to rear, into front, middle and rear sections, the dip of the fan blades or paddles below the floor plane 01" the air-ship, end views of the front and rear fans, mounted on the front and rear shafts, the chain. belt gearing, the deflectors, the right rudder, the stem or prow of the air-ship, and the half cylinders or half barrel scape-d devices, within the hollows of which the fan blades make the upward and forward part cit" their revolutions. The arrows point he direction the fans rotate. l 2 is a ionul view of the lower part of the air-ship iii-oi the plane represented by the broken lii c .1 in Fig. 1, the stay ropes from the acre-plane to the bottom of the airship being;- omitted, and showing among -ship is divided into other things how the front, i'n'iddle and rear sections, and into live crossseclions, the positions pf the front and rear fans, and of the shafts upon which they are mounted, the ball hearings in which the shafts turn, the chain belt gearing, the twin rudders, the stem or prow, and the floor of the air-ship partly cut away, showing the location of the motor. Fig. 3 is a vertical front elevation of the airship, omitting end sections of the side wings of the aeroplane, and showing ai'nong other things the prow, the i1 dip of the pnddi floor plane, the r ground wheels, "the verse bar with a ideflectors, the fan below the uro arying the Ii'iGl'Ol and the trans wheel free to revolve on vi li end of ii. Fig. l a vertical right side elevation of a part of the front section of the body of the air-ship, showing among other things an end View of the front propeler-lifting the front shaft, the dead center beltpi the fans,.the half cylinder or half barrel shaped part of the front deflector-find a of 1 the aeroplane with canvas tans, mounted on and keyed to H ropes or wires.

stretched on the under and upper sides of its framework. Fi g. is a detail of the propeller lifting tans. Fig. 6 is the aeroplane viewed from above.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The aeroplane 1 and the body of the airship constitute the air-ship. The air-ship may be mounted on wheels, on skids or on a boat. The body of the air-ship includes the trestlevvork top 3 and the substructure The body of the air-ship is divided into front 69. middle 70 and rear 71. sections and into five cross-sections, referred to from right to let't by the numerals 80, 7s, 75, T l, 82 in Fig. 3.

The longitudinal stringers 31, 31, the transverse stringers 32, 2-33 and the ribs 33, 3 5 constitute the'lirame of the aeroplane. The transverse stringers 32, are bars of Wood eXteni'iled-along and beyond and. on both sides of and secured to the posts 3i, 3%; and the longitudinal stringers 31, 31' are laid upon. the transverse stringers 32, bars of WOOLl extended along and beyond and on both sides of and secured to the posts 34-, 34;. The transverse stringers 3?) 3 3 are bars of WOOtl secured above and. below the stringers 31, 31, and to them. The ribs 33, 33 are bars of wood across the upper and under sides of the stringers and secured by bolts and nuts to the stringers 33S, 33' and said ribs and transverse ringers 32, 32 are secured together at their intersections with The horizontal stay ropes are secured to the ends ol said stringers. Canvas is stretched under and over and se cured to the frame of the aeroplane, including the stay ropes all), it. Qtay ropes -1-1, ll. are secured at the intersections ot the ribs and stringers of the aeroplane and to the bottom and top of the body of the air-ship. The aeroplane may be extemled on the fore and aft wings and on lhe right and left- Wings in sections joined together by means of fishing the beam joints secured with bolts and nuts, so as to make it easy to take the sections apart and put them together again.

The posts 3d, 8 the longitudinal sills 55, the transverse sills or tie bean'is 56, 56, the longitudinal stringers 31, 31, the transverse stringers 82, the uprights l9, 19, the deflector posts 45,;t7, the deflector braces 78, 79, the Substructure frame (3'? and braces which may be put in across the corners con stitute the frame of the body of the air-ship {2). The stringers 31. 31 and 32, 32 constitute the roof timbers of the body of the airship. To give the body of the air-ship greater strength and stability many wires 98., 28 as may be considered necessary may be bound horizont llv around the n'iiddle, To,

rea Tl, s

and vertical 'iy ntfouzful the bury oi.

.an opening in the floor d the front senses the air-ship, exclusive of the substructure and trestlework top.

The motor 8 is secured to the frame 67 of the substructure 4:; three sprocket wheels are secured on the drive shaft 9.

The Wheel Sand the sprocket Wheel are secured together and to the axle 64 which revolves in ball bearings secured in the frame 67. The chain belt 11 runs over the sprocket Wheel 65 and over one of the three sprocket Wheels 10 on the shaft of the motor. The ground steering wheel 6, on a lower plane with respect to the frame 67 than the wheel 5 is, revolves on ball hearings on the axle (33 secured in the fork 61 which turns in the head 60 which is secured to the frame (57. The handle bar 14 secured by means of the joint 62 to the fork 61 passes up through 57 to the operators position 68 in the cross-section 7 5. The airship may be started on the ground on the Wheels 5, 6, and. steered While on the ground by means of the steering wheel 6 and the handle bar 14-.

The transverse barfiiO carrying the Wheels 7, 7 whici'i are free to revolve on journals on the ends of said bar, and kept on by threads and nuts on the ends of said bar, is secured to the frame 67 of thesubs'tructure 4, and serves to keep the air-ship When at rest or in motion on the ground from tipping side- Wise too far.

The twin rudders 15, 15 are provided With hinges 72, 72' upon which they turn and which are secured vertically to the rear corners of the body of the airship.- Said rudders are controlled by the rudder ropes 16 secured to the rudders and Which pass on the outside of the air-ship, over roller guides 66 secured to the air-ship, to the middle section and across it to the opera.- tors position (58, and by the rudder ropes 16 which pass over roller guides 66 along the 1' air of the air-ship to the centralv crosssertion, 75, then to the operators position 68. The rudder ropes may be secured by means of cleats fastened to the floor 57.

The triangular pron or stem 27 is secured to the front part of the frames on the sides of cross-section 75, and iscovered with canvas or other suitable materials.

he uprights 19, 19 may each be made of two timbers, secured together with bolts supplied with. threads and nuts 20, .20, clamping the ball bearings 38, 38 betxveei'i them and secured to the stringers 31, 31, and to the sills 55. The annular ball bearings 38, 38, are let into mortises in the uprights 19, 19, and clamped with the bolts and nuts .20, 20. The shafts 36, 37, turn in ,the' ball bearings 38, 38 and carry thrust ball bear ings 3D, 39, on their ends, which are kept on and in place by means of the threads on the ends of the shafts and. nuts 73, llpon the rear shalt 36 are keyed ther fans 1'1",

ceases 17 and the sprocket wheel 51 over which the chain belt 12 runs. Upon the front shaft 37 are keyed the front fans 18, 18 and the sprocket wheel 50 over ,which the chain belt 13 runs.

The arms or spokes 44, 44, the blades or paddles 45, 45, the disks 42,42, the key and key seat 43, the cross-pieces 52, 52, the dead center belts 21, 21 in connection with the shafts 36, 37 constitute the fans, l7, 17 18, 18. The dead center belts serve to keep the air in front from the center of the fans. The holes for the shafts 36, 37 are bored through the center of the disks 42, 42 and through the middle of the'arms 44, 44. The key seats 43, 43 are cut in the faces of the disks 42, 42 and in such manner that keys passing across the centers of the shaft through key holes may be lodged in said key seats. The arms 44, 44, in pairs are let half and half into each other at their middles.. Gains or notches 46, 46, are cut in the 4 corners of said arms to receive the blades or paddles 45, 45, which are secured n the gams on opposite sides of and at the ends of the arn1s, 44, 44. The cross-pieces 52,52

are secured tothe arms 44, 44 near the blades 45, 45. The dead center belts 21, 21 may be made of lumber extended from cross-piece 52 to cross-piece 52 and secured to the crossieces and to said arms, or the dead center belts may be madeo-f canvas or leather carried over the cross-pieces 52, 52, and the ends of the belts laced together. The object of the dead center belts is to prevent the air in front of the fans from rushing into the center of the fans. In mounting the fans on the shafts, the shafts 3.6, 37 are passed through the annular ball bearings 38, 38,

and through the shaft holes'in the arms 44, 44 and through two disks 42, 42 for each fan.

Then the keys are inserted in the key holes in said shafts and said disks brought against the keys so that the keys will be' in the key seats 43, 43 cutin the faces of said disks. Then said disks are securely bolted with bolts and nuts to said arms 44, 44 with the keys pinched between the disks and the arms. Then the thrust ball bearings 39,- 39 are placed on the ends of said shafts and secured in position by means of the threads on the ends of said shafts and the nuts 73, 7 3.

The compartments 77, 83 on the left side and 81, 89 on the right side of the air-ship may be closed up on the sidesof said coniartments and in the rear and above, but not in front below the deflectors 24, 25nor on the bottom, with canvas or other suitable material.

, In the half cylinders orhalfbarrelshaped devices 23, 23 constructed behind and over the fans 17, 1-7, l8, 18' respectively, the full width of the" respective fans, the hoops '53 with the canvas 54 stretched over them are secured to the. cross-pieces 48, 48 which in fans and wholly or turn are secured to the frame of the airship,

In the front deflector 25 braces78 arese cured to the deflector posts 47,47 and to the front posts 34, 34 of the body 'of the air ship, and to the frame of the aeroplane, andcanvas is stretched across and onjthe under side of said braces and secured ato them and to the cross-pieces 48, 48,. v

In the rear deflectors 24, braces 79 are secured to the front posts of the compartments '77, 89, and to the frame of the aeroplane, and canvas is stretched across and on the under *side of said braces 79 and secured to them and to the cross-pieces 48.

I apply the principle that effective work can be had in lifting and propelling an airship by means of vertical revolving paddle fans, when the efiective work accomplished in one half of each revolution of the fans is not neutralized by the work done in the other half of each revolution of the fans by means of the device whereby the downward and rearward strokes of the paddles of the vertical revolving fans are made in the free open air and the upward and forward strokes are made within the body of the airship -or within half cylinders or half barrel shaped devices secured to the sides of the air-ship or within compartments constructed on the sides of the'air-ship open in front and below and closed. up behind and above the partially closed up on the sides. The principle that more effective work is'performed by two wind fans or wind propellers where each of them operates in air undisturbed by the other I apply by placing the rear fans not directly behind the front fans,

By placing the vertical revolving propeller-lifting fans fore and aft, on both sides of the airship, so that the burden to be carried in the center of the air-ship and below the plane of tne shafts carrying the fans will be carried between the fans the liability of the air-ship to tip sidewise or fend-wise is greatly lessened.

I do not claim the aeroplane, the ground wheels, the means by which the front ground wheel. is steered, the means by which the rear ground wheel is made to revolve, the

motor, the gearing, the rudders, the fans. I

nor the dead center belts as distinct elements.

Iclairn: 4 f v 1, in an air-ship the combination, substantially as shown and specified, of an aeroplane, the body portion of the air-ship embodying a central longitudinal section and on opposite sidesdhereof, side longitudinal sections, the stem or prow on the front end of said central longitudinal section, adapted to cleave the air and deflect it to the exposed fronts of the propelling-lifting fans, ground wheels. adapted to support thebody'portion of the air-ship, means for driving rear.

ground wheel, means for steering frontiao wheel, vertical rudders adapted to swing on hinged oints on the rear corners of the body portion of the air-shi p for steering and stopping the air-ship, means for controlling said rudders, inotor adapted to actuate the shafts of the propelling-lifting machine, and a propellinglifting machine, comprising front and rear shafts, installed in the body portion f the airship at right angles to the vertical plane of the longitudinal axis of the airship, the hearings in which said shafts are installed,- suitable gearing connecting said shafts with the motor, two propellingdifting fans mounted in opposite sides of the body portion of the air-ship on said front shaft and adapted to revolve with it forward and downward, two propellinglifting fans mounted in opposite sides of the body portion of the air-ship on said rear shaft and adapted to revolve with it forward and downward, front and rear deflectors adapted to deflect air to the exposed fronts of said fans and to force the airship upward and fan hoods or partially inclosed fan compartments in the nature of hoods for said fans.

In an air-ship the combination, substantially as shownand specified, of an aeroplane, the body portion of the air-ship enibodying a central longitudinal section and on opposite sides thereof side longitudinal sections, the stem or prow on the front end of said central longitudinal section adapted to cleave the air and deflect it to the enposei'l fronts of the propelling-lifting fans, vertical rudders adapted to swing on hinged joints on the rear corners of the body portion of the airship for steering and stopping the airship ine'ans for controlling said rudders, motor adapted to actuate the shafts of the propellingdifting machine, and a pro polling-lifting machine, comprising front and rear shafts installed in the body portion of the air-ship at right angles to the vertical plane of the longitudinal axis of the airship, the hearings in which said shafts are installed, suitable gearing connecting said shafts with the motor, two propelling-lifting fans mounted in opposite sides of the body portion of the air-ship on said front shaft and adapted to revolve with it for ward and downward, two propelling-lifting fans mounted in opposite sides of the body porlion of the air-ship on said rear shaft and adapted to revolve with it, forward and downward, front and rear deflectors, ada 'ited for lhrcing,- the air-ship upward and. to deflect air to the exposed fronts of the fans, and fan hoods or partially iuelosed compartments in the nature of fan hoods for said fans 3. In an air ship the conibiinitiou. substantially as shown and specified of the lnaly portion of the air-ship, coin irising a central longitiul'nal section and on opposite sides thereof side longitudinal sections, the longitudinal roof timbers of the body portion of the airship, pro; ected in. frontof the airadapted to form iin'ietions with for ends of the finnt deflectors, the stern r prow on the front end of said central section adapted to cleave and deflect the air to the exposed fronts of the fans, ground wheels adapted to support the body portion of the air-ship, nioans for driving the rear ground wheel, means for steering the front ground wheel, vertical rudders adapted to swing on hinged joint-s on the rear corners of the body portion of the airship for steering and stopping the air-ship, means for controlling said rudders, rnotor adapted to actuate the shafts of the propellingdifting machine, and a propcllingdifting machine, ronun-ising front and rear shafts installed in the body port'ion of the. air ship at right angles to the vertical plane of the longitudinal axis of the air-ship, hearings in which said shafts are installed, suitable gearing connecting said shafts with the motor, two

propeHing-lifting fans mounted in opposite sides of the body portion of the air-ship on said front shaft and adapted to revolve with it forward and downward, two Inopellihgliffing fans, mounted in opposite sides of the body portion of the air-ship on said rear shaft and adapted torevolve with it, for mid and downward, front and rear deflectors adapted for forcing the air-shi p upward and to deflect air to the exposed fronts of the fans and fan hoods or partially inclosed fan eonipariinents in the nature of hoods for said fans.

l. In an air-ship, the combination substantially as shown and specified of the body portion of the air-ship embodying a central longitudinal section and on opposite sides thereof side loi'igitudinal sections, the longitudinal roof timbers of the body portion of the airship projected in front of the airship, adapted to form junctions with the forward ends of the front deflectors, the stem or n" w on said central section adapted to cleave and deflect the air to the exposed fronts of the propulsion fans, vertical. rad ders adapted to swing on hinged joints on the rear corners of the body portion. of the air-ship for steering and stopping the ain ship, means for controlling said rudders, motor adap ed to actuate the shafts of the propellinglifting.niachine, and a propelling-lifting machine comprising front and rear shafts mounted in the body of the airship at right an to the vertical plane of the longitiulinal axis ofthe airship, the bearing in which said shafts are ins lled, suitable gearing connecting said shaft-s with the motor, two propelling-lifting fans mounted in opposite sides of the body portion of the air-ship on said front shaft and adapted to revolve with it, forward and downward, two propelling-lifting fans mounted in opposite sides of the air-ship on adapted to revolve with the shafts upon under sides and in the front ends except which they are respectively mounted forward and downward, fan hoods or partially inclosed compartments in the nature of fan hoods constructed in the body portion of the Vitnesses:

air-ship inolosed in the rear ends, tops and M. A. MURRAY, on the right and left sides and open on the C. E. MoLANE.

which short spaces are inclosed.

, JOHN MUCKLE.

short spaces at the tops of the front ends, 

